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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Science Fiction in all my dreams i DROWN

Discussion in 'Role Playing Forum' started by Lawbreaker, Oct 7, 2018.

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  1. Lawbreaker

    Lawbreaker Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2018
    2019

    UCLA, Westwood
    Cellar


    Sidney approached the position where he suspected the police woman and between the servers she could see his shape just as he saw hers standing in the light of the workstation. He took aim, just in case she would be immune to his auto-aim, too. He took his time, took another step forward. He did not fear her bullets. He feared nothing. He was indestructible. Willingly he gave her a chance to shoot.

    That moment Christian jumped at him from the side and grabbed his gun. The shot went into the ceiling as Christian dragged the gun up and they wrestled for control of the ancient weapon, turning around their axis and crashing into the server towers surrounding them.

    Annie saw the two men fight in the light of the muzzle flare.

    Tag: @SirakRomar, @DarkLordoftheFins, @Sith-I-5
     
  2. Lawbreaker

    Lawbreaker Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2018
    2019

    UCLA, Westwood
    Lobby Ground floor


    The SWAT that had tried to break through was hit in the knee and landed hard on the floor. He remained there for only a second before vanishing.

    The SWAT kept on pushing now, showering her cover with a remorseless shower of bullets. They spread across the room, knowing they had her pinned down.

    Then they ceased fire, probably all still aiming at her.

    "All we want is the girl." This was Charles voice. The man she had killed seconds ago. "So you wanna keep on existing? I sweeten the deal, I will even get someone working on you. You know? I will include these invulnerability alien feature which is obviously not working." Charles laughed. "We make you whole again. The real Mary Formal. All you abilities, you can have. We can even put some of your Organisation in. Maybe quests and challenges. This could be your world. You could have fun. Or you get deleted and stored back into the 'failed attempt' folder I got you from." Charles got a hand grenade from his chest. They were now getting serious about killing her obviously. Standing next to the pale Cardigan leaning against the pillar he smiled. "Just tell us where she went."

    Cardigan looked up at the other two hand grenades attached to the man's chest and then to Mary. He gave an approving nod, knowing that if she had the same idea he had he was a real goner.

    Tag: @Sith-I-5
     
    Sith-I-5 likes this.
  3. Lawbreaker

    Lawbreaker Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2018
    2029

    Penthouse of Andy Chang

    The laptop opened the menu function again and the neon green panel approved face recognition this time.

    1:35

    1:34

    1:33

    The interface appeared in 3D and she saw the countdown had moved to the upper right corner. Under it were a complicated number of code segments moving over the screen. The program Running was labeled "extinction protocol" and was uploaded into the mainframe of Tritec file by file. The sun-protocols had names like buffer deacivation, revoke physics or format SID back-up.

    There was a program in the lower left running called SWAT loop. That one had an aboard button actually.

    1:27

    1:26

    1:25


    Tag: @SirakRomar
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2020
    Sith-I-5 likes this.
  4. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    IC: Agent Mary Formal, UCLA lobby

    The thing about unsuppressed automatic gunfire, is that it is very loud, not to mention distracting.

    She had no way of knowing in real time, what had become of the Hardy Boy whose knee she had blown out, so ignored his fate, sweeping her aim across the room, where she could not fail to hit one of these Special Forces' type officers.

    Then they ceased fire, probably all still aiming at her.

    She swayed, her gun still waving in their direction, her control directly related to the action. Or lack of it.

    "All we want is the girl." Unbelievably, this was Charles' voice. The man she had killed seconds ago. "So you wanna keep on existing? I sweeten the deal."

    She felt betrayed. She'd shot him in the face! He should at least be talking with a lisp!

    "I will even get someone working on you. You know? I will include these invulnerability alien feature which is obviously not working." Charles laughed. "We make you whole again. The real Mary Formal. All your abilities, you can have. We can even put some of your Organisation in. Maybe quests and challenges. This could be your world. You could have fun."

    This was actually quite tempting. Although the quip about 'quests and challenges' spoiled it a bit. Like he was trivialising her existence. If she could even trust these people. And-

    "Or you get deleted and stored back into the 'failed attempt' folder I got you from."

    -if the World wasn't at stake.

    Charles got a hand grenade from his chest.

    The sight gave her pause. The ****'* he doing with a hand grenade?

    She could now see two more adhered to the front of his protective vest now. LAPD SWAT shouldn't have that! Was he going to threaten her with a thermal detonator as well?

    They were now getting serious about killing her obviously. Standing next to the pale Cardigan leaning against the pillar he smiled.

    Like the Death Star must have smiled, when Alderaan realised that it wasn't there just to **** with her tides.

    The thought occurred to her that Charles sounded like he was more than the spokesperson for SWAT, but....something else.

    She told him that, then enquired: "Who, who are you?"

    "Just tell us where she went."

    Her aim settled on the grenades on his chest, she thought about about Sidney's revelations that all this wasn't real.
    She thought about her late friend, Zek Foener, East German telepath and fellow E-Bra- UNCLE agent, revealing the truth of the next level **** that she had been recruited to help deal with. Perchorsk. Starside. Wamphyri.
    She thought about Miami Vice' Sonny Crockett, tearfully raging out as he tried to come to terms with finding his own best friend had gone dirty.

    Beside and below Charles, a very sick-looking Joe glanced up at the grenades, then gave her a sidelong look, and nodded..., or was having trouble supporting his head, the blood loss so bad.

    She finally considered the words of a brave little boy finding himself in a similar situation to herself, and drew inspiration from his own response. Jack? James? Jake. Jake.

    "There are other worlds than these, Gunslinger." She double-tapped the grenades on his chest, then blasted the one in his hand for good measure.

    Tag: @Lawbreaker
     
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2020
  5. SirakRomar

    SirakRomar Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 30, 2007
    Annie
    UCLA Cellar

    She saw the two men struggle and she knew this was her chance. She waited until Sidney stood with the back to her, pushed himself up and grabbing the plastic bag with both hands jumped at him, shoving the back over his head and holding his head tight.

    "HOLD HIM!" She yelled at Christian and the policewoman. "HOLD HIM!"

    Amy had not died for nothing. Neither had Ray. When she had her hands around Sidney's neck she had felt him choke, had felt him panic. He was immune to physical attacks, but he was no machine and no undead. He was alive and all living things had to breathe!

    "For Amy." She whispered at the man as her arms slung around him holding him with all the strength she had.

    Tag: @DarkLordoftheFins, @Sith-I-5, @Lawbreaker
     
  6. SirakRomar

    SirakRomar Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 30, 2007
    Enigma
    Andy's Penthouse

    She hissed out in frustration. These protocols were obviously made to destroy various elements of the simulation. It seemed there was no "off switch", so they had to shut it down manually element by element. SWAT Loop. At least she could shut down this one. She did. Tipping on above and confirming it she turned her attention to the other programs seemingly uploaded into Tritec.

    Opening every menu she could find she looked for the right button to stop the upload. It had to be here. Somewhere. Or maybe not ... once he was sure he wanted to end the world he probably had not integrated a standard aboard order. Why would he?

    Elina had the terrible idea this thing was not made to be stopped.

    While looking at the menues she tried to call back Christian. She needed some help right now. He was obviously on a higher level than everybody else.

    Tag: @DarkLordoftheFins, @Lawbreaker

     
  7. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    IC: Nicole Gravely, UCLA server room

    Well that was embarrassing...

    The detective had realised that the most prolific serial killer in recent memory, was just waiting for her to show, so was positioning herself on the floor of the aisle, hooking toes under the base of a server tower, Glock in a double-handed grip up at her chest, counting the few seconds to lean out into the open, lower down than Sidney could possibly be expecting her...

    One-na, two-ah, three-ah-

    ...then that guy and Annie jumped him, with the latter stretching the black polythene of her bin liner over the killer's face!

    Annie spotted her scrambling to catchup: "HOLD HIM! HOLD HIM!

    Baille holstered her gun and got with the programme, going in low like a lady rugby player and tackling Sidney around the knees, trying to bear him to the ground.

    Tag: @SirakRomar @DarkLordoftheFins @Lawbreaker
     
  8. DarkLordoftheFins

    DarkLordoftheFins Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 2, 2007
    Christian Borg
    Cellar

    Christian looked Sidney right in the eye as he mobilized all his strength left to hold on to his gun hand. He pushed forward to ram Sidney into the server behind him. It worked and Sidney returned the favor, gasping and hissing in unbound anger now. He wanted to kill him so badly, it seemed inhuman.

    83%

    Then there was Annie. Elina's younger version swapped a plastic bag over the man's head and he realized immediately what her plan was. Suffocating him. Annie must have found his weakness.

    Christian did as Annie ordered him to. He held the gun hand as if his life depended on it.

    Please, let this work or we are all dead.

    85%

    Screaming out his anger and fear Christian concentrated fully on not letting Sidney go now.

    As the police woman tackled him they all ended up on the floor, but singleminded Christian held on to his gun. No matter what happened ... he ... would not let go ... the gun!

    Tag: @SirakRomar, @Sith-I-5, @Lawbreaker (who gave input to it)
     
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2020
  9. Lawbreaker

    Lawbreaker Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2018
    2019

    UCLA, Westwood
    Cellar


    Sidney screamed out in anger under the plastic bag, which was an unnecessary waste of air. Only when he wanted to breathe in he felt the inability to do so. The bag tightened around his face as he had exhausted the air. The black plastic laying over his silent scream made him look almost demonic.

    He knew the feeling. It was quite similar to drowning. Suffocating felt like what he experienced every time he fell asleep.

    In all his dreams he drowned.

    Shaking his head as of he would shake of the bag his vision mixed with a dangerous red tone spreading. He felt panic take over.

    This could not be. He could not fail now that only one was left. He could not fail. He was unstoppable. He was invincible, wasn't he? No. This was wrong. These damned people did not understand ... he had to kill Christian ... had to ... had to ...

    Slowly he felt his muscles fail, his struggle to free his arms and legs were getting weaker every second. He lay on the back and his mind screamed in panic as his body did not have the necessary oxygen to do the same.

    Tag: @SirakRomar, @DarkLordoftheFins, @Sith-I-5
     
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2020
    Sith-I-5 likes this.
  10. Lawbreaker

    Lawbreaker Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2018
    2019

    UCLA, Westwood
    Lobby Ground floor


    The first shot hit the target and the world ended in a storm of fire, debris and sound. The grenade set of the next and the next and something else a SWAT should not have exploded right next to Charles.

    The wave of destruction spread through the whole building and the sound of crashing down stone was heard probably miles away as part of the Main Building of UCLA collapsed.

    Just as the SWAT routine was aborted by Elina in another world Mary and Cardigan had managed to take Andy's last pawn of the playing field. It had cost them their lives. Or to be more precise, they were deactivated and stored in the folder for deceased characters.

    Tag: @Sith-I-5 (which concludes Mary for now)
     
  11. Lawbreaker

    Lawbreaker Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2018
    2029

    Penthouse of Andy Chang

    The phone replied the number she was currently calling was not available at the moment. It had cost her precious moments.

    1:21

    1:20

    1:19

    None of the programs seemed to **** down. None seemed to be even made to stop. Only an upload bar with an execution time, which was her countdown.

    Various aspects of the simulation became visible now. Every person was a simulation himself, positioned in an interactive map which was in itself a simulation of geophysical and geological traits. Between them was the actual interactive environment, which contained millions of rules from gravity, to light, to texture management and weather conditions. Every weather was a program itself created by the simulation daily and run as routine stretched over 24 hours. Almost every law of physics could be altered manually, while the simulated people allowed almost no easy path to manipulate them. They were hardcoded into the simulation.

    All of this symphony of simulated aspects of reality was erased by Andy's program. Every aspect of it would cease to function or exist.

    In pretty much 58 seconds.

    00:57

    00:56

    00:55

    A world was going to end in 00:55 seconds.

    Tag: @SirakRomar
     
  12. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    IC: Nicole Gravely, UCLA server room

    The sergeant jerked her head up and winced, pain and salty blood filling her mouth as the bucking Sidney's knee knocked her in the jaw!

    She blinked away tears, and tried to direct cool soothing saliva to her wounded tongue, whilst tightening her embrace around his upper calves.

    She could feel him weakening under them, and could hear an in-out 'flap' from above her, that she took to be him trying to breathe through the plastic.

    At length, he settled down, however she kept her tight hold on him, unwilling to make the call to release him, roll him onto his tummy and slap on the 'cuffs.

    Muffled explosions detonated above her, followed by what sounded like a ******* cave-in! That whatever was above them, had collapsed on them.

    Particles of what felt like sand, pattered over her back and into her hair, followed moments later by a dust cloud billowing in from the stairs...

    "Who ith thith ath-hat, Blofeld?" She lisped incredulously around her swollen tongue and lips. "Ith thith playth thet to thelf-dith-truct if hith heart thtopth?!"

    Tag: @Lawbreaker @SirakRomar @DarkLordoftheFins
     
  13. SirakRomar

    SirakRomar Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 30, 2007
    Annie
    UCLA Cellar

    Annie took her own breath in and felt her muscles burning as she kept the grip around his neck, holding the bag in place.

    She would hold on to him until he was dead even if her arms fell off. Pain and mundane things like the weakening of her muscles would not make her let him escape. No. She would not give up. Even if only her will kept her suffocating him, she would not let him go.

    "Why don't you just die?" She hissed.

    Tag: @Sith-I-5, @Lawbreaker
     
  14. SirakRomar

    SirakRomar Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 30, 2007
    Enigma
    Andy's Penthouse

    Elina screamed in confusion and frustration. The simulation was an incredibly complex system of interconnected sub-routines basically covering every aspect of existence. Something like this had to exist for this world, too. But Andy obviously did not Master it, as he always claimed. Like Christian said, the power to simulate was bestowed upon them by something or someone that had mastered the technology. Andy only understood it well enough to destroy it. Crushing every aspect of it like a man with a hammer destroying porcelain vases.

    So how did you stop the hammer?

    How did you stop the programs of they were meant to infect and destroy this world without being stopped?

    Elina knew she was no match for Andy. Not in any way. So she screamed and yelled at the computer and redialed the number of Christian. He would not pick up she assumed.

    A minute. Less by now. She did not dare to look at the countdown, because she did not wanted to see how much it had run down already. Time was almost up. Hardly enough to learn anything about computers.

    "Christian, I could really use some help now." Elina finally sighed and let her head hang. "At least let me not die alone, again. Please."

    Tag: @DarkLordoftheFins, @Lawbreaker
     
  15. DarkLordoftheFins

    DarkLordoftheFins Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 2, 2007
    Christian Borg
    UCLA Cellar

    Christian felt that Sidney might hold out a little longer than them. He had enough bullets in his gone now to kill all of them.

    91%

    So they needed to speed up things. In a cruelty he would not have believed he had in him Christian threw himself on the chest of the man and put all his weight on it.

    The policewomen mumbled something about Blofeld. Probably she was not entirely okay. There was an explosion above. He ignored all of those facts. His exit was not the door.

    93%

    Annie cursed at Sidney to die. Christian was not so sure he shared her hatred. He feared Sidney, he wanted him to die because he was a threat. Yes. But was he a monster? He had been used like Christian had been used. He knew Jack Burns. He was a questionable character maybe, but not a monster. At least he had not begun his journey as one.

    95%

    Hopefully he died before Christian was transported into 2029.

    Tag: @Lawbreaker, @SirakRomar, @Sith-I-5
     
  16. Lawbreaker

    Lawbreaker Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2018
    UCLA, Westwood
    Cellar


    Sidney knew it was easier than one might think.

    The trick was not to fight. Accept the lack of air and focus, instead of wasting your last seconds.

    He twisted his ankle to point the gun at Christian who kept the his arm held tight and the man realized much to late what was about to happen. The bullet ripped into his head and killed him instantly. With his free arm he could not immediately turn to the problem with the plastic bag. Instead he aimed down where the policewoman held his legs and unceremonially fired right into her skull. He felt the panic of Annie as she realized she was alone and hammered his elbow into her ribs, before breaking free as she winced in pain. He got to his feet and ripped the plastic bag off his face. Grinning down at her as Annie came to her feet he grinned and put the gun to her head.

    "You tried hard, girl. You really did ..."

    [​IMG]

    I am sorry. The girl appeared from nowhere as the world around him froze.

    "For what?" Sidney laughed. "I won! I beat the game! I killed all of them! All of them!"

    The girl looked at him with these black eyes and then gave him a sad smile. "You are in the buffer now. It will be absolutely painless."

    Sidney looked at her and blinked. What was she talking about? Was he ... looking down he saw himself exactly where he had last time felt the pain. Held down by three people with a bag over his head, his face a mask of horror and his eyes now lifeless.

    He was dead.

    As he tried to sort his thoughts he realized how the frozen world around him eroded into code and finally darkness. He screamed. Even when he had no more mouth he kept on screaming ...



    Sidney had tried to escape until the end. Finally it was over though. The three attackers felt his body suddenly relax and ease and his muscles loosing all tension. Sidney was dead.

    It took a second before his body started to erode, turning slowly to black dust which vanished then in the air and into nothingness. Only the gun remained in Christian's hand as the only proof he had ever been there.

    97% the display on Christian's wrist computer said. He was almost there. They were almost out of time.


    Tag: @SirakRomar, @DarkLordoftheFins, @Sith-I-5
     
  17. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    IC: Nicole Gravely, UCLA server farm

    She did not feel Sidney die, exactly.

    He relaxed under her, then...then he seemed to lose stability somehow, like he had developed the fastest case of 'brittle bone' disease in medical history, her laying on his previously stiff legs felt like trying to crawl onto a leaky airbed, one of those colourful affairs that you took to the beach.

    Then she noticed that he was dissolving into a black dust that she fell through to land with crossed arms on the tiled floor, her short drop swirling the former Sidney away into new eddies that soon faded.

    "Oof... Oh, you have jutht been jacked!" She smiled, not moving from the floor for the moment, thinking, You know what? Maybe I am the Wunderkid that Captain Windslow had been told I was; one day on the case and I helped Thanos-snap this ass-hat.

    She rolled over onto her back, to relax for a moment. She glanced up at Annie and the other survivor to both ask a question, and offer unsolicited property ladder advice. "Tho, did we thave the world? And if we did, Culver Thitty ith going to have a weird real ethtate ithue around Duquethne Avenue, going forwardth."

    Tag: @Lawbreaker @SirakRomar @DarkLordoftheFins
     
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2020
  18. DarkLordoftheFins

    DarkLordoftheFins Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 2, 2007
    Christian Borg, Annie and Enigma
    UCLA Cellar and Penthouse of Andy

    Christian was the last to let Sidney go as he began to ... disintegrate. He must have been hidden in the buffer, he realized. The routine of the simulation was unable to simulate his body. That was probably the reason why he had been immune to bullets. They did not translate to his hidden code.

    The gun in Christians hand was all that was left of the Serial Killer. An old revolver.

    He got up on shaking legs and smiled at the police woman and Annie.

    "Nothing saved yet." He told the policewoman who said some strange stuff about real estate.

    "We got him. Now it is your turn." Annie said still catching breath and smiling hopeful at him.

    Christian checked his wrist computer.

    98%

    He nodded and hoped he would find in 2029 a situation less complicated than this. He looked at Annie and gave her a sad nod.

    "Amy?" He asked. Annie just shook her head and gave him a sad smile.

    "I am sorry. But ..." He looked at her. "Thank you. You saved my life." She gave him a shy smile back and he stepped closer to her. Irritated she looked at him as he got closer than expected, but she did not step away. He took her neck gently into both his hands and kissed her. Annie was surprised, but it was a surprisingly pleasant surprise. She had never been loosed like this. A gentle kiss full of ... love?

    99%

    As they parted she smiled at him.

    "I guess you are kissing the wrong Annie, Chris." She gently whispered and Pirnaer hand on his chest. He looked at her and then nodded. With a simple gesture he gave her the Revolver and smiled at her one last time.

    "Maybe you are right."


    "Thank God, the program is about to be executed and I can't find any way to stop it!" Elina said to him and resisted the urge to hug him for appearing out of nowhere in this moment of despair.

    Christian looked at the computer and the 3D interface showed the execution of the programs dissolution of the 2019 simulation. Of course they could not shut it down. They probably never fully understood how it worked themselves. Andy and Wong had given in to the illusion they were geniuses who had created this, when it had truly always been a number of strange coincidences guided by an invisible hand.

    So instead of using the off switch he never had, Andy was attacking every sub-program, every routine and part of the simulation making it break. He infected TRITEC with a virus. He uploaded a doomsday protocol.

    The countdown showed he was almost done.

    00:30

    00:29

    00:28

    Christian was not sure if Andy had left any option to stop the upload and even if he had he had barely time to find it. He hit the escape button and then control, shift and escape. The second opened the task manager.

    00:26

    00:25

    He found the largest running program called the Andy Upload Manager and clicked on closing the program. A green neon light display jumped forth in his interface announcing he was not authorized to execute the operation.

    Christian looked at Elina and saw tears in her eye.

    "Don't let him win." She just said and he nodded.

    How did you stop and upload if you could not stop the software?

    00:21

    00:19

    00:18

    His thoughts raced and then he had an idea, a last desperate attempt. He grabbed the computer and ran to the bathroom. Elina had been drowned in the bath. The bathtub.

    00:15

    00:14

    00:13

    He smashed the computer with all the strength he had left in his arms against to door frame as he entered. The computer would not break down, they were able to withstand a car hit nowadays, but it cracked enough to not be waterproof anymore he hoped.

    00:12

    00:11

    00:10

    He found the bath tub was still filled with water and he held the laptop over it and without further ado he allowed it to drop from his hand into the water.

    It hissed before it sank and as water entered the chassis the octa-processor shorted and the battery did the same.

    00:09

    That was the last thing it showed before dying. Breathing heavy he counted down himself now.

    "Eight, seven, six, five, four." Elina had followed him and embraced him from behind.

    "I love you." She whispered into his ear.

    "Three, two, one." He held his breath.




    Then he let it out. The world was still there. The upload had failed. The simulations of 2019 and 2029 still existed.

    "I hope you did not only say that because of the whole end of the world thing. Because that is not happening." Christian laughed at Elina. She gave him an exhausted smile and then answered.

    "Oh." Se said with her most innocent face.

    Christian laughed and she joined his laughing. She had gone through hell for him. He had thought there was no way he could ever trust her again and yet he had to say he did not know how not to.

    He thought of thanking her, but instead he drew her closer to himself and kissed her.

    Finally he kissed the right girl.





    They stood at the window and looked out for an hour. They just watched the beauty of their world where neon lights bathed the blurred fog that lay over the town into a million different colors. Millions of people were down there having no idea what they were or how they had been saved tonight. They were only simulations, but they were also people. Like they were people. Because of you could love and fear, suffer and triumph you were not only a program. You were alive.

    "What are you thinking." Elina asked, holding his hand a little tighter.

    Christian smiled.

    "A soft reboot." He replied only and closed his eyes. He was incredibly tired. But he had to make a few things right before he could rest.

    Tag: @Lawbreaker (combined with), @Sith-I-5, @RachelTyrell,
    @SirakRomar
     
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2020
  19. Lawbreaker

    Lawbreaker Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2018
    Chapter Five: Ends


    Epilogue I
    Aftermath

    UCLA


    It was a day for miracles.

    Large parts of the front of the UCLA university had collapsed in what was soon labeled a terrorist attack. Yet, they found two policemen in the rubble and they were both surprisingly alive.

    Mary was hurt, but they said nothing she could not get over with within a few more days. She was probably certain she remembered dying, but that had obviously been an over-reaction. Like her estimation of Cardigan's state of health. While she might have been sure he had been dying, the medics were more concerned about his leg that had been crushed by an especially large piece of rubble.

    "Pal, gonna take month until you can walk without a stick." The Doctor said.

    "That is okay. I work vice, I think walking sticks been en vogue since Snoop Dog, you know?" Cardigan winced and smiled at Mary who was brought into a parallel ambulance for medical treatment.


    It would take another few hours until they recovered Annie and Nicole, but once they did the manhunt for Sidney was already on it's way, as they assumed the serial killer extraordinaire had escaped once more.


    Oh and SWAT finally arrived, wondering why everyone eyed them suspiciously.


    Epilogue II
    The Burden

    TRITEC Department, Gamescape Center


    It had taken them quite a few trips back and forth and work on both sides of the equation that were the two simulations running each other. Finally they were done.

    Christian Borg was now head of both versions of TRITEC, equipped with the Mastercode and having been surprisingly named Andy Huan Changs sole heir he had full legal and factual control of the simulations. It had been easy to claim control when you could play both sides of the game.

    They had made their adjustments that were urgent already, added some elements abandoned as Annie suggested and what they could straighten up they did.

    All the dead that were still in the loop were restored. Those dead for more than one iteration of the day and night cycle were beyond saving. Sidney was purged from the system, as far as they could follow Cheryl's movements. Cheryl remained stored but inactive for now. The brilliant young woman was erased and Ms. Sturm regained her own persona.

    Only Amy was nowhere to be found. It was as if she had never existed within the simulation.

    Christian had barely slept, using the 24 hours cycle of the simulation to do as much as he could. Elina had stayed by his side, supporting him with an endless stream of Diet Coke in glass bottles.

    Now as he watched the thousand screens display the simulation of 2019 that worked in perfect harmony he had to smile at his work. The impossible to resist urge to sleep crawled into his body.

    "Take me home." Christian whispered to Elina who smiled at him and took his hand.



    An hour later they were both sleeping.

    Neither of them dreamt of drowning ...


    Tag: @Sith-I-5, @DarkLordoftheFins, @SirakRomar

    ooc: All of you get PMs with the characters personal epilog as a combined in a few moments. Feel free to reply to the above if you want or not ...

    Thanks @DarkLordoftheFins for approval of heavily using Christian.
     
  20. SirakRomar

    SirakRomar Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 30, 2007
    Epilogue III
    The Many Faces of an Enigma



    Elina and Annie

    "Hey." Elina did not know what else to say but the simple word. She looked out over the city of the year 2029 and leaned against the large panorama window.

    "Hey. Is that you?" Annie put down the chicken wing in the small Asian Bistro she was trying and stroked through her now brown hair. Smiling she leaned on her hand and looked at the street out there.

    ""Yeah. Yeah it is me." She laughed and cried the same time. "So good to hear you."

    "Likewise. I assume everything turned out alright on your side. With the world still being around and all that." Annie looked around, took her bag and waved at the owner of the bistro as she made her way out. This conversation was probably not for the general public.

    "Yes. Christian turned up a little late, but gladly he is a fast thinker. We are safe now. Very safe actually. He send his greetings and his gratitude. He told me what you did for him." Elina smiled and wiped her tears of her face. "We will sort some things out."

    Annie walked down the street. "Can we see us?" She finally asked.

    "No, he can't find the code." Elina said. "Someone has hidden us deeply within the code, so nobody can erase us." She was actually the only simulation that could not be transferred.

    "A shame. Listen, when it comes to these adjustments I might have a few suggestions." Annie laughed.

    "You can tell Christian directly, he is coming over." Elina said.

    "Cool. Also can he bring some money? I am kinda broke." Annie laughed.

    Elina smiled and nodded. "You can have all the money in the world honey. All the money in the world."

    "Cool." Annie pushed for a moment. "Are you happy? Christian and you and all that. Are you good?" Annie smiled.

    "Yes, I am great. Don't know when it was the last time I could say that." She wondered if she had ever been happy before. Satisfied maybe, but happy? "What are you gonna do?"

    Annie sighed and stopped before the window of a pretty shop. "Dunno, buy some stuff and give it to friends. Screw a few guys. Wanted to change town, but that is not an option, is it?" Annie laughed.

    Elina just smiled at her own reflection.

    "Let us wait and see." She said and she knew she would talk all night with Annie, so she went to the oversized couch to make herself comfortable.


    Tag: @Lawbreaker
     
    Sith-I-5 likes this.
  21. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    IC: Mary Formal, Nicole Gravely, departure lounge, LAX airport

    The Arcan pulled her wheeled suitcase over the polished floor of the busy airport, diffused shafts of golden light, lancing diagonally through the vast interior.

    She really wasn't sure what was about to happen.

    The anonymous benefactors that had vouched for her to get her out of LAPD custody a week ago, had struck again, forcing green-uniformed military types alerted by her medical treatment, to postpone their threat of carting her off to Area 51 in Nevada, unstrap her from their Silence of the Lambs hockey mask and gurney, and lead her hospital-gowned tush down the ramp of the C-130 transport plane parked on the windswept LAX apron, with orders "not to leave town".

    Given their failure to take her out of L.A., she was a bit dubious as to whether she would be able to, anyway.

    But she was going to ******* try!

    She was here to check in for the three seats on Alaska Airlines flight AS 2272 direct to Portland International Airport in Oregon, for herself, Nikki, and her kid's prisoner, Eddy Brennan, so that the two of them could Passenger 57 him back to Nikki's jurisdiction.

    She stopped, feeling like she was having an out of body experience, while life at the airport whizzed about her.

    Why was she here without Nikki? She wouldn't have let her baby girl out of her sight this soon, after the despair of hearing that Gravely's last known location, Die Doom Bar, had disappeared into a ******* black hole, and then, hours later, learning that she had been dug out of UCLA's collapsed basement.

    When Karen Davis had picked her up from the airport, and dropped her back home, the Eagle Rock motel, she had hugged Nikki so hard that the poor girl had had to play dead and sag, like she were trying to convince a boa constrictor to release her.

    Ber-ringgg Mary's work phone rang, and she pulled it out, noticing that it was missing it's SHIELD engraving on the back. She stared at the smooth metal facade as the thing continued to ring in her hand, till a passer-by asking if she was okay, broke her out of the reverie.

    Startled, Mary flashed a smile of faux gratitude, lied that she was okay; yes, she was sure; and turned the phone over to see that a UK number was ringing her.

    Well, that'll be E-Branch, she thought, but when she swiped the screen to receive the call and held it up to her ear, a posh female voice told her to "please hold for the head of Section One."

    Section One? What the **** is Section One?

    Numerous emotions, not least surprise, shock and delight, flooded through her, buckling her stockinged knees, as the oh so familiar, paternal gravelly tones of the elderly Alexander ******* Waverly, head of Section I, U.N.C.L.E., proceeded to chew her out.

    Okay, perhaps that could've been phrased better.

    "What the hell do you think you are doing, Miss Formal? Hm?" He sounded more disappointed than annoyed. With all the pipe smoking she had seen him do, in the Sixties' tv show, his personal physician had probably told him to avoid stress.

    "Nnnn?" She managed to query.

    "You think you get any kind of special treatment?"

    "Nnnn?"

    "Not reporting in for a week?"

    "Nnn! S-sir!" She almost dropped to her knees with the sudden realisation that she worked for Waverley! She was an UNCLE agent for realsies, now! This...this was the master of this simulation, for that was what this was, rewarding her for her assistance in saving it. She was an UNCLE agent.

    Mary rallied, one-handedly leveraging her suitcase to force herself back up, and make a beeline for the last place that she had spotted some seats.

    "Had to send Damian to take care of that goddamned Drood business."

    What the ****'* a Drood? She wondered, breathing hard as she dropped gratefully onto one of a line of seven plastic seats, pulling her valise to sit between her knees.

    "So tell me you are still in the City of Angels at least."

    "Y-yes Sir. I'm still here." She couldn't go to Oregon now. But, how can I stop Nikki from going?

    "We seem to got a V problem we wanna look in to."

    That sat her up. Although for years, she had convinced some E-Branch colleagues that she was only seconded to them from UNCLE's Section III, the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement had never, at least to her knowledge, looked into vampires.

    This could explain the ID card that had been in her belongings, when the army had handed them back to her.

    Instead of the 'Man from UNCLE Fan Club' card bearing the traditional UNCLE logo, the black silhouette of a suited male, standing to the right of an ellipsoid globe; instead she had found something like a credit card, with the silhouette of a skirt-suited female, standing with legs crossed in a cute but not particularly balanced manner. Under the same globe, it had read Woman from U.N.K.L.E.

    Waverly continued talking in her ear, telling her that he was sending "Summers" out to her, but she wasn't listening any more.
    She was U.N.C.LE., not U.N.K.L.E.

    Agent Formal could feel her eyes moisten, then well up. To have achieved her dream, then having it snatched from her...

    If she was just a collection of data and algorythms, then whoever ran this, had access to the memories that she had been given. They knew which one was hers. Why would they, they do this?
    They were practically throwing in her face that this was only a simulation...

    Unless. An uneasy feeling flipped over in her stomach as a thought occurred, and she raised her head to focus once again on the tourists and staff milling around her.

    Had she and Annie failed to save the world, and this was a new one, where UNKLE was a thing?

    There are other worlds than these, Gunslinger.

    Rather than really being an UNCLE agent, she would have to continue pretending that she was, although really working for Mr Waverly, should make things a little easier.

    A despair that she imagined must have been felt by Quentin Archer, washed over her.

    Without even remembering pulling her weapon, her Bren was sitting in her lap.

    Philosophy 101. If a tree falls over in the forest, does it make a noise? If I eat my gun, will I die?

    Bbrriinngg

    Awakened by the phone ringing in her ear, Mary realised that her new boss had must have ended the call. She looked at the screen to see that Nikki was calling, and swiped to accept.

    "Hey, Sweetie."

    "Mary, Captain Windslow just told me that I'm not leaving, can you believe that?"

    "Actually, yes."

    "According to him, Portland are happy not to see me or Eddie for a few more days."

    "Okay."

    "He wants me working a double homicide down at the harbour, with Cardigan. Since we're not flying out, do you want to join us?"

    "Honey, Mummy is going away for a while. Promise me that you will listen to your Uncle Joe and your Auntie Karen. He is a good man, re-houses puppies and everything. And she's probably good for pens."

    "...Are you alright? You sound odd."

    "I'm fine. Mummy just had a massive disappointment."

    "Oh, for pity's sake. Is this over me refusing to call you 'mom'?"

    "Can't imagine that it helped, but I hadn't really noticed."

    "You hadn't noticed! Its been like your primary concern since about an hour after we met! You know, you are sounding a lot like my sister did before....uh, where are you, exactly?"

    "LAX."

    "Yeah, you wanna narrow that down a bit? Actually, stay on the line. Stay there. Do not move. We are coming for you." Nikki's voice noticeably quietened as it moved away from her cell's microphone. "Cardigan! New plan. We are going to LAX. Put out a 9-9-8. Officer needs assistance. All north end units roll, south end units stay in their areas."

    Fade to black, I guess.
     
    Last edited: Apr 29, 2020
  22. RachelTyrell

    RachelTyrell Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Feb 15, 2009
    Epilogue VI

    The Revolution will be televised

    New Rose Hotel


    Amy gasped in tears as they made it through. Sitting on the floor in front of the giant television with the numerous split-screens she saw both streams of 2019 and 2029 the same time. When she saw Christian finally kissed the right girl and repair most of the damage.

    "They made it." Amy smiled and looked at Adrian who had taken his seat on the couch behind her.

    "Yeah, who would have thought that." Adrian smiled, hiding his pain of prematurely giving up his ten years project. "What next?" He raised his brow.

    "London Gangsters? Gotta feeling you would love that guy I have been following there." He grinned.

    "What makes you think that?" Amy asked.

    "Oh you should see him in a crown." Adrian smiled at her.

    Amy had the feeling she had a strange future in front of her, but an eternity to get used to it.

    Tag: @Lawbreaker
     
  23. DarkLordoftheFins

    DarkLordoftheFins Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 2, 2007
    Epilogue VII

    One person's madness is another person's reality.


    Tseng Tu Mu Chicken Wings, Downtown Shanghai, 2029


    Somehow all of 2029 was suddenly having Coke Light in glass bottles. Not Diet Coke, but the European labeled one. Christian smiled as the waitress brought him his in the small overcrowded bistro. She put two bottles on the table and left with a silent smile. They all seemed to sense he spoke no Chinese.

    "I ordered only one ..." He said and looked after her. She seemed to not hear him. Instead someone sat between him and her. A very familiar face in a very unfamiliar style.

    [​IMG]

    "The second one is for me." The man who looked like an alternative version of himself smiled. "You seem so fond of it, I thought I might like it." He took the bottle and drank. "Oh wow." He said and looked at it.

    "Who are you?" Christian asked and leaned back. He had expected them to show up now.

    "Doesn't matter. Someone a level higher than you. Or two. Been around for quite some time, jumping between my worlds. Maybe I only believe that and was put together this morning by someone with this set of memory. Impossible to say." The Man shrugged.

    "So you are around to explain me the rules? Of running two simulations?" Christian asked and the Man laughed.

    "No. Not really. You think there are rules?" He seemed genuinely surprised.

    "I don't know. I thought there would." Christian could not say this conversation went as expected. "But I will try to take good care of them."

    "Good. There are no rules I ever became aware of." The Man took his Coke up again. "Any more questions?" He raised his brows. His mimic was nothing like Christians.

    "Yes." Christian said and laughed. "Plenty."

    "Okay, I give you one." The Man said and drank again.

    "How do you know you are real?" Christian asked.

    "Reality? Oh man, big question. Real? What is real? Are you real? Am I? If so who of us is more and who is less ... real? Man, you can go mad about it or simply not care at all. If you ask me, we might all just be fictional characters in someone's novel. Or worse. On some rotten message board on the internet.

    Imagine that. Can you? Close your eyes and listen to the universe and all you hear might be the typing of fingers on a keyboard. A so-called creative mind that is the source of all our existence, the architect of all our fears and joys. A true creator of the reality, who takes a pee and has another cup of coffee to give your existence another read through to get rid of spelling mistakes and streamline the grammar. When he is done this godlike creature sees his favourite TV show is running and dictates all of your existence by executing his godly power ... better known as clicking the "post it" button.

    Man. Reality. I am not sure if I wanna know what that exactly is."

     
  24. Lawbreaker

    Lawbreaker Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2018


    The End

    The End

    The End?

    Does anything ever really end?






    THE END
     
  25. DarkLordoftheFins

    DarkLordoftheFins Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 2, 2007
    ooc: Sorry, a mistake.
     
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2020
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